Drivers and fans of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie have had to wait eleven weeks. Next Saturday, October 19, 2024, racing action will finally be back in the ‘Green Hell’. The teams of the traditional Nordschleife championship are just as hard-boiled as the loyal spectators. Neither will be deterred by the mixed weather forecasts. The provisional list of participants comprises 126 vehicles and the 55th Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy promises to be an exciting day of racing, as the focus is not only on the battle for victory on the day. The championship decision is also getting closer and closer.
The winning team of this year’s ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring returns to the Nordschleife. Frank Stippler and Nico Bastian will drive the Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO 2 from Scherer Sport PHX. Their main opponents include the two Falken-Porsche cars, which have taken four victories so far. Klaus Bachler and Alessio Picariello as well as Joel Eriksson and Tim Heinemann will take to the wheel in the 55th Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy. After winning the 6-hour race, Dennis Fetzer, Michele Beretta and Jusuf Owega, who will be driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Team ADVAN x HRT, are also a force to be reckoned with. The two Audi cars from JUTARACING and équipe vitesse, a Porsche 911 GT3 R from Dinamic GT and the PROsport-Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 will also be competing in the GT3 class.
Max Kruse Racing launches AT offensive
The team around soccer star Max Kruse and Benny Leuchter is taking sustainability to the next level at NLS5. Five of the six vehicles in the team from Duisburg will be competing in the ‘alternative fuels’ class. In addition to the spectacular VW Golf GTI Clubsport 24h, which celebrated its NLS debut at the 6h race with a strong second place, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup with starting number #105 will also be running on sustainable Shell E20 fuel with 102 octane for the first time. A rapid refueling system will be used for the first time in the Max Kruse Racing pits for testing purposes.
“This is an important step for the future,” explains VLN Sports Director Christian Vormann. “With the approval of these systems, our teams will have the opportunity in future to promote sustainability in our series with individual fuel partners. We are therefore no longer restricted in the range of different concepts. The ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series is once again taking on a pioneering role as a championship that is open to technology.”
MKR is fielding two more VW Golf GTI TCRs and an Audi RS3 TCR ‘alternative’. Also competing for sustainable motorsport in NLS5 are three Porsches from Four Motors Bioconcept-Car around rapper SMUDO (Die Fantastischen Vier) and Tom von Löwis.
A preliminary decision on the championship is possible
With two races remaining, the battle for the championship is slowly but surely coming to a head. Four teams can still clinch the title. Joshua Bednarski, Lucas Daugaard and Moritz Oberheim lead the standings with the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS from AVIA W&S Motorsport. The trio took five class victories, including the one in the 6-hour race, which earned them more points, as well as a second place. If they manage another victory, they will have an unassailable lead in the standings.
In certain constellations in the remaining two races, second-placed Daniel Merten and Joshua Hislop could also become champions with the Hyundai i30N of Team Mertens Motorsport. Steve Jans and Tobias Müller in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of BLACK FALCON Team 48 LOSCH and Sven Markert, Ranko Mijatovic and Toby Goodman in the BMW M240i Racing Cup of Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhatten Wheels also have at least theoretical chances.
In the Junior Trophy, in which drivers born after January 1, 1999 are classified, the standings are similar: Daugaard leads the table ahead of Hislop and Goodman.
Mertens Motorsport leads the table for the production cars. It has a nine-point lead over Jan-Piet Ooms, who drives a BMW 330i (G20) for SRS Team Sorg Rennsport. There are still a number of constellations that will decide the championship.
Age is no protection against racing speed
The Gentleman’s Trophy, newly created this year, will be exciting. Here, registered drivers born in 1973 or earlier compete against each other. With 30 points still to be awarded, around a dozen drivers still have a chance of winning the title. Michael Eichhorn (Cupra, Auto Thomas by Jung Motorsport) is in the lead ahead of Michael Tischner (Toyota Supra GT4, TOYO TIRES with Ring Racing) and Eichhorn’s teammate Michael Winterwerber.
In the NLS Speed Trophy, the classification for the top cars, the Porsche 911 GT3 R with starting number #4 from Falken Motorsports is in first place. The lead over the #911 from Manthey EMA is 18 points. However, as ‘Grello’ will not be on the grid due to a clash of dates, Falken can close the bag early with a third place.
Desiree Müller (BMW 325i, Eifelkind Racing) leads the Ladies’ Trophy ahead of Flavia Pellegrino Fernandes (BMW 325i, Keeevin Sports and Racing), who won the classification last year. Both ladies are competing in the V4 class and the result is still open.
In the Goodyear Wingfoot Award, which was introduced this year, all cars running on Goodyear’s black gold are judged across all classes. The Audi R8 LMS GT3 #50 of équipe vitesse has a good chance of winning the title for the first time. Its lead over the two BMW M240i Racing Cup #650 and #651 from Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhatten Wheels is 116 points.
Tickets are available for 22 euros (children up to 14 years free of charge) at vln.de/tickets and at the box office. This will take you to the open grandstands on the Grand Prix circuit, the exclusive spectator areas Brünnchen and Pflanzgarten as well as the paddock, the pit lane, the starting grid and the ring°werk motorsport experience museum. Positions on the grid will be determined between 08:30 and 10 am. Fans can then experience motorsport up close during the pit walk from 10:20 and the visit to the starting grid from 11:10.
